Extraordinary Escapes With Sandi Toksvig

Channel 4, 9pm The conversation surely never dries up when Toksvig is around: the presenter is a veritable national treasure, brimming over with bonhomie, jokes and a phenomenal knowledge of just about any subject. All of which has made her a mainstay of QI and now the best-qualified of hosts for this new travelogue series, uncovering the delights of Britain.

In the first of four episodes, Toksvig is joined by actress Alison Steadman (right) to explore the Suffolk coast, where they find a beach overlooked by one of the Martello towers that were once the last defence against Napoleon. And, as the history lesson goes back to the Norman Conquest, the ladies also take a moment to hone their wood-whittling skills.

The whole series is available on All4 afterwards, with Prue Leith among the other guest companions.